My Atos experience

[Bee Gee]

My ATOS experience was the same as most it seems, banal questions, ticksheet and a perfectly fine verdict after ignoring what the actual issue was.

 

Where it seems to differ though is afterwards, post rejection I phoned up the DWP and spoke to an exceptionally helpful chap who went through things with me, he stated what ATOS wrote was at odds with what I was telling him but there was no surprise in his voice. He went off and called me back pretty promptly having reinstated my benefits (or moved them across to the new one, ESA is it?).

 

Now I have suicidal tendencies, I dont self harm or anything I just have no desire to exist, Im not sad or down but I am hugely depressed because it is very hard at times for me to feel anything at all, I can suffer from anxiety though, a story in the daily mail brought my experiences to the front of the mind and I looked around and found this forum.I exist because I dont wish to put my family through any pain but conversely often think that removing myself would be better for them in the long run.

 

Now all that may have had a bearing on what happened, but the upshot is the DWP overrode ATOS there and then, there was no appeals process that I went through.

 

Upshot is ATOS sucks but there are actually helpful and caring people working within the DWP and sometimes its just a little glimpse of human kindness that makes the difference.

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG. Thank you for posting your experience and I really hope it works out for you. I think your words will have encouraged other people here.

 

Please keep in touch if you need us.

 

My best, HB